What Really Matters
by mysoufflegirl
Summary: What happens when Elena Gilbert wants to meet her boyfriend's Father? Will he approve of their relationship or will he destroy it? Mentions of Child Abuse. Warning; your heart may break for Damon. All human! AU! One-Shot/ Delena


_Elena Gilbert was going on a date with Damon Salvatore. It wasn't exactly the first time thought, and certainly wasn't the last. But this date was different. It was very_ important. Probably the most nerve raking date ever after the first; The meet the Parents Dinner. Well in this case, meet the _Parent _Dinner. Meaning just his dad, his mom died a long time ago.

Ok, so she's met him before, you know, casually. Never as his official girlfriend. She was nervous. But she couldn't tell Damon as much because this meet the parent thing was _her_ idea. His father isn't the best person on the planet, but rather serious and sometimes, just mean. And rude. So yes, she was nervous. She's pretty sure he's not going to like her. But she wanted to meet him otherwise, wanted to make a good impression.

And it didn't help that Damon had a troubling relationship with his father. Ever since his mother died, he's blamed Damon for it and always treated him badly. _Very _badly. He hasn't told her as much, but she could guess. Plus, his father always preferred Damon's younger brother, Stefan. Because he was the _real_ Salvatore whereas Damon was the mistake. Harsh, I know.

She was in her room surrounded by the chaos she formed while trying to look for the appropriate outfit. She was frustrated. Everything she tried on just wasn't right.

"Ugh!" she groaned loudly.

After minutes of changing and changing dresses she _finally_ found the perfect dress. It was a mini strapless black dress that reached to her knees and showed her long legs, and had a black waistband under her breasts. It was tight in all the right places and really showed her curves. It was sexy, but not _too_ sexy. And she knew Damon was going to love it.

As if on cue, the door bell rang, she grabbed her small purse and putting on her red pumps. She looked in the mirror one last time, her hair was in thick wavy curls and her makeup was flawless. She looked good. She smirked then headed downstairs towards the door. She opened it and a twenty year old guy with dazzling blue eyes and black/brown hair was standing in her door step holding a single rose. When he looked at her, he opened his eyes wide in shock of the beauty in front of him. He took in her dress, her legs, her breasts, everything. She was perfection. And He couldn't believe she was his. All his.

As she looked at him looking at her, she suddenly worried if it was too much. He was dressed in a dressy blue shirt and black pants and black shoes.

"Hello, Beautiful." He said while pulling her in for a kiss.

"Mmmm, Hi.." she says, giving him a peck in the lips again. She has missed this, She's missed him.

"You look gorgeous," he says to her and she smiles. He hands her the rose, and she takes it, goes to put it in some water so they can leave.

"You think so? It's not too much, right?" She says sounding as insecure as she was.

"What? Of course not. You are perfect" he smiles at her and pecks her in the lips before opening the car door for her.

When he gets into the car and starts driving, she could see he was nervous too. Despite what he says, he wants to make his dad proud, at least once. He never really talks about it, but she was sure he felt that way.

The drive was quiet except for the occasional chat. Until finally the Salvatore Boarding House came to view and he let her out of the car and towards the front door. He takes her hand while entering the grand house and heading to the kitchen to prepare the meal. You may not know this but Damon is an _amazing_ cook. Like seriously. He can make a killer pasta. Which is what he was making tonight. Elena asked if he needed help but he just scoffed and told her he was pro, pros don't need any help. So she sat down on a chair in front of Damon across the island watching him cook.

A couple of minutes later, dinner was ready and Damon & Elena were chatting and laughing animatedly at something. Elena was putting on the table and Damon was serving when Giuseppe Salvatore came down the stairs.

As far as the looks go he was more Stefan's father than Damon's. He had a square jaw, leaf green eyes and his now crippled body once had a strong built until age caught up with it. His body wasn't very strong but his character sure made up for it.

"hello, Mr. Salvatore. I'm Elena Gilbert, Damon's…"

"Ah yes, Damon's plaything. Am I correct?" He said to her rather rudely, clearly ignoring her extended hand.

She awkwardly put her hand down, clearing her throat, she said:

"Um, no, Sir…I'm his girlfriend."

He stared at her up and down with cold eyes, it made her think when mean girls looked at your outfit before criticizing it. "Right," he said, disapproval stained in his voice.

Then he walked away to the Dinner table, just like that. Elena sighed. This is going to be a long dinner, she thought. She cleared her frown when Damon came into the room with two plates in his hands. Smiling at her he put her and his father's plate on the table. That smiled reminded her why she was doing this, despite what he'd told her he wanted this. She knew it. Even thought he warned her she didn't had to do this, or it didn't matter to him if his father didn't like her as long as he liked her…and Damon loved her. He said it didn't matter, but she knew it did. You're wondering what she tells him when he says that, aren't you? Well, she tells him that if they want to have a long-tern relationship (which they both do) his father have to like her. He just has to. And since Elena's very stubborn she has hold on to that idea even now. So she took a deep breath, she looked at the table were her boyfriend and his father were seated in front of the other. She sat down in between them. She smiles at Damon and nods to Mr. Salvatore who clearly ignored her, focused on the meal in front of him.

They ate in silence for a while until Elena broke it, saying;

"wow, Damon this meal is amazing. Mr. Salvatore, you're son is an amazing cook, right?"

Damon smiled brightly at her for the compliment.

"I've tasted better," Giuseppe simply stated, locking eyes with Damon briefly before returning to his food.

Damon's face fell on that, but he grasped her hand briefly smiling a little, saying;

"Thank you, Elena."

She smiles back, squeezing his hand before letting go and returning to the food.

"Um…Dad, did you know that Elena was going to Duke next semester with me?" He asked his father, looking for conversation. Anything over this silence.

"Oh Yes, I forgot she was still in High School." He said as if being in high school was a sin or something, even thought his younger son was in her class. "When are you going to take things seriously and date girls your own age instead of going for young girls?"

"Um, Dad Elena's 18. She's not a young girl anymore. Besides it's only two years of difference…" He frowns at Elena then looks at his father expectedly, to see if he was going to fight him on this.

Apparently he wasn't going to because instead of answering he went back to eating. So we looked at each other and continued eating.

They were both shocked when it was Giuseppe who broke the silence by asking;

"Young Lady, What do you plan on studying in Duke?"

"Well, I'm going to major in Literature and Creative Writing. I'm going to be an Author." she said, kind of shocked by his sudden interest but not questioning it too much. "My mom has always pushed me into that direction."

"A Writer?" he asks

"Yes, Sir." she answers politely.

"Hmm.." was his only reply to that.

And then they're back to the awkward silence. Yay! (Sarcasm noted)

Damon jokingly says;

"The writers couple."

Damon cracks a smile at her, and she laughs back. But Giuseppe stays silent.

"What, Father? You don't approve?"

"You know I don't, Damon. In fact, I think the only reason you have taken over this crazy nonsense is only because I don't approve."

"On contrary to your belief that everything I do is just to disappoint you, I actually enjoy it. Writing, I mean."

"Right, of course…" Mr. Salvatore says in a sarcastic manner.

"In fact, I'm sure the only reason you don't 'approve' of me being a writer is because mom was a writer, and you don't want me to inherit another talent from her." He yells at his father.

"That is not true," Giuseppe shouts, standing up abruptly and hitting the table with his hand.

"Oh, really? Because as I also recall you didn't want me to look like her either which is why you tried to bleach my eyes! If it weren't for the nanny finding out what you were up to would have done it! You didn't want me to have her bone structure which is why you hit me constantly! You didn't want me to have her voice, her beautiful singing voice, so you'd make me scream so loud my voice would turn raw! You didn't want me to have her magical Piano playing fingers, even thought you already knew I had because she taught me, so you threw away the piano, _Her_ piano! You didn't want to see me anymore, because no matter what you did I still reminded you of her, so you forced me into the military! Where I could have died for all you cared! I was nothing to you! I was just a mistake! You know, I don't even remember how you were before mom died! You hate me, I get it! She died saving me! And in your head, there wasn't a more pathetic way of dying! Even thought I was your son! YOU'RE FUCKING SON! She would have killed me yourself if it meant bringing her back! Well, let me tell you something, Father! She died! She isn't coming back! When are you going to accept that? It's been years! YEARS! Just move on, I've had, Stefan has! The whole damn world has! I know you were in pain, but it still doesn't give you the right to treat me like that when Stefan was treated like fucking royalty! And I know why…Because he looks like you. He doesn't have one aspect of mom. I do! And that's why you hate! Even thought I've tried, So…Hard for you to be proud of something, ANYTHING, that I've done…and nothing! Nothing now, nothing ever! I get it! I've accepted it! But DO NOT treat Elena as if she's nothing, because She is everything. Everything you felt for mom I feel for her. So at least _try_ to be happy for me, At least try to be proud of me, at least this once!" Damon yells at his father, and at this point Damon has tears running down his cheeks, Elena is silently crying shocked and His father is staring at him in shock.

Then Damon throws the napkin down on his plate, leaving through the door and out the front porch. Elena quickly runs to him, leaving Mr. Salvatore alone.

She goes onto the porch and sees Damon staring at the night. She silently closes the door behind her and stand next to Damon. She faces him, he looks at her with the saddest eyes you could ever imagine and without really thinking she takes him in her arms where he sobs. He hugs her back tightly, holding on to her, needing something to hold on to while he cries the tears that have been unshed for so many years.

"I am so so sorry..!" She whispers to his ear once his sobs turn silent, "I shouldn't have forced you into this dinner, I'm sorry."

"No, this isn't your fault, Elena. In fact, I needed to tell him that, to let it out of my system, for so long. And finally, I have. Thanks to you, so please don't be sorry."

"Ok, But I am sorry about the way your father treated you, You don't deserve that." She pulls away slightly and brushes the tears from his cheek, then she kisses him passionately, pouring all her love, adoration and most of all Admiration for him into it. She was proud of him, for what he's done. Something most people wouldn't have the guts to do.

"I love you…so much." He says softly.

"I love you, too." She says to him.

Later that night, they went to Elena's house not wanting to face his father again. They were alone because Jenna was with Alaric and Jeremy with Bonnie. So they went to her room, and he explained in detail everything that happened since his mother. It was heartbreaking, everything he had to go through alone. It literally made her heart break in two. She loved him so much. He, more than anyone, did not deserve that. She felt a new-found rage form in her for Giuseppe Salvatore for what he has done to his son. She didn't know how _anyone_ could do something like that to their own son. It was horrifying.

Right after, he would cry into her shoulder until he'd drifted off to sleep in Elena's arms. She was glad she could give her the comfort he needed. To be there for him like he was there for her when her parents died. Now she realized Damon was right before, it didn't matter if Giuseppe Salvatore approves or not because she knows they love each other and she knows her parents and his mom would approve. And that's all that matters.

_**The End!**_

**A/N: Hey guys! ****J What did you think? Depressing much? Sorry, I know it was. I mean I cried while writing it…but I've always wondered this and wanted to explore it so there it is! Tell me if u liked it or hated it! Ok? Ok! ;) I've always pictured that Damon's mom looks like Damon which is why Giuseppe 'hates' Damon…! Do u agree with this? Then review! Any comments? Review! 3 xoxo, merzyy **


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